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Do you have a cheat day?

RoseBudd85
RoseBudd85 Posts: 49
in Food and Nutrition
Is there evidence that it helps at all? For me it seems to be easier keeping to keep up the momentum I have rather then to have to start again the next day.
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Replies

  • Ms_Blondie
    Ms_Blondie Posts: 25 Member
    I started my weight loss journey on here 2 weeks ago and I only had one cheat day which really wasn't a horrible one because I was only over my calories by a little over 200. I think some people like me just need a cheat day now and then because if I wouldn't, I would end up going crazy and fall off the wagon and start eating like a pig.
  • lugovelb
    lugovelb Posts: 60
    Some people believe that if you are on a caloriies restrictive diet a cheat day my prevent your system going into starvation mode and slowing your metabolism. So for some people and depending on the diet a cheat day might be a good thing.

    Just my opinion
  • meldaniel
    meldaniel Posts: 111
    I don't intentionally have one on a schedule, but they happen anyway so I don't stress over it as long as they are few and far between. :)
  • chevy88grl
    chevy88grl Posts: 3,937 Member
    Nope. I don't have cheat meals or cheat days. I eat what I want, when I want - in moderation. For me, knowing I can have whatever I want - whenever I want it makes it feel less like a "diet" and more like a lifestyle change. I would much rather eat whatever it is I want NOW than have to wait for a specific day or meal to have it. I feel like THAT leads me to binge eat because I feel like there are foods that are 'Off limits' and this isn't my goal.
  • thatbondchick
    thatbondchick Posts: 14 Member
    I have found that if I hit a plateau for about a week and can't seem to break it a cheat day helps. So far every stall I have had has been broke with a cheat day. Nothing extreme but more then my normal daily limits.
  • GypsyRose25
    GypsyRose25 Posts: 407
    Do whatever is comfortable to you. I need a cheat MEAL, every couple of weeks or so. It gives me a goal to look forward to. People say that it is bad to use food as a reward, but I so don't see it that way. I love food way too much. I love having that decadent meal once every other week.
  • UnderCoverShyGirl
    UnderCoverShyGirl Posts: 254 Member
    I'm no expert by any means as i keep struggling and lose and gain, etc...but i do have an opinion on cheat days.

    For me, when i cheat, i really cheat and I have realized that if i lose a pound a week (aka lose 3500 calories) and then i cheat (which for me could mean going out to eat or a bad happy hour which of course could equal a couple thousand calories) then I almost negate the good work i did. If i were to have one cheat day a week, i would really not lose much, if any, weight....

    That said, i personally feel if you need a "cheat day", then i just think it still needs to be a conscious cheat day, where you might give yourself a little leeway, but not have the mindset of "i can have whatever i want and/or how much i want" with no guidelines or of course make the cheat days far apart so you aren't negating the work you do.

    It took me a long time to understand how cheat days work - i'm still learning of course, but this is the conclusion i've come to that works well for me :-)
  • RoseBudd85
    RoseBudd85 Posts: 49
    I have found that if I hit a plateau for about a week and can't seem to break it a cheat day helps. So far every stall I have had has been broke with a cheat day. Nothing extreme but more then my normal daily limits.


    I just started so I haven't had a chance to hit a plateau yet, but will keep that in mind!
  • zundelag
    zundelag Posts: 175 Member
    I do have a cheat day once a week. It gives me something to look forward to when I'm trying to make the right decisions. At first it really was the whole day I would eat poorly, but now it is more like the day I let myself have a big breakfast or eat candy. It's not that I feel I have to, but that I think my mind set has changed.

    Whether or not to have a cheat day is a personal decision, but for me it would be caloric suicide to not have one. I'd just give up and eat what I want and when i want.
  • shanel_h
    shanel_h Posts: 18
    I don't eat back my exerciser earned calories so like this weekend i knew on Saturday i was going on a date night with the hubby i hit the gym in the morning and later that evening was able to eat my "cheat" meal and not feel so bad about it. i feel like its a win win! : )
  • misslyssa319
    misslyssa319 Posts: 186 Member
    my cheat day is sunday. but i still do at least 60 minutes of cardio and include those calories for the day. i don't pig out on junk but, like today, have a meal i've been craving and i was still under my calories for the day. sometimes i'm under, sometimes over but i still try to include everything. no guilt or buyers remorse for me!
  • zoodalia
    zoodalia Posts: 294
    I don't have a 'cheat' day, I have a 'treat' day each Friday and I love it. I'm very careful throughout the week and workout every day and so don't feel bad at all if I allow myself one day a week to eat the things I love. Some people say they eat what they want when they want but in moderation, I couldn't do that, because once I have a little of what I love I just feel low if I can't have the rest! I prefer allocating one particular day where I worry not!

    P.S. I'm still losing weight, about 1-2 pounds a week.

    Good luck!
  • tasman11
    tasman11 Posts: 79
    WEEKEND! WEEKEND! Well once i start diet i hardly cheat but on weekends over eating can occur .Peer pressure ,parties, cinema and so much attractions on weekends.! But if you cheat then do more exercise that day!x
  • YvetteHowarth
    YvetteHowarth Posts: 8 Member
    Yes I have a cheat day, every sunday, it gives me something to look forward to and keeps me on the straight n narrow. I weigh in that morning then the rest of the day i have what i want. I'm losing 1-2 lb a week i'm happy with that because its something i can stick to rather that stay on a rigid diet 24/7 i'd soon get fed up and stuff myself.
  • clrrrr
    clrrrr Posts: 261 Member
    When I have a cheat day, it's not so much a part of my schedule (i.e. weekly or monthly) so much as if I've been good for a long time and there's a special occasion, I'll let myself enjoy food the way I used to. For example, a few days ago was my mom's birthday, and we went out to a really nice restaurant that I've always wanted to go to, so I had the full four courses, bread, drink, everything. And after that I went to a friend's bonfire and had s'mores and chips for good measure ;] I love food too much to give up on indulging for the rest of my life. Plus, I felt SO full after all that that I was inspired to be extra-good the next day. My body just isn't used to handling sugar and saturated fat the way it used to, so being reminded of what I was missing didn't really prompt any kind of longing. It was a good day, though :]
  • CARNAT22
    CARNAT22 Posts: 764 Member
    Cheat days - no. But I have the occasional cheat evening (meal out with a few glasses of wine - even then I try to earn extra calories)

    My downfall in previous weightloss attempts was always letting a bad evening spill into the next day and before I knew it I'd overeaten ALL weekend! I haven't done that since signing up here.
  • kendrafallon
    kendrafallon Posts: 1,030 Member
    I don't intentionally have one on a schedule, but they happen anyway so I don't stress over it as long as they are few and far between. :)

    I agree, I don't intentionally have days set aside to cheat on, this weekend gone is a perfect example.

    We (my folks, me and my sisters) had friends over on Saturday for a BBQ. I knew I'd have a hard time not picking at food, so I while I didn't deliberately set out to stuff myself silly, I wasn't exactly restrained either. Sunday was picking at leftovers, so again a day where I wasn't wonderful with watching what I was eating. Saying all that, I'm not particularly worried. I know I've gained some as result of this weekend, but I'm not trying to lose the weight for a quick fix, this is a long term goal and it's a long term plan.

    Go with what works for you
  • Mairgheal
    Mairgheal Posts: 385 Member
    I don't have an actual cheat day, but I'm not logging my food on weekends. I will definitely go over my usual cals in weekends, but I don't obsess over it., it's the weekend after all (not saying I go mad on binges or anything, but I'm just relaxed about it). This combination works for me.
  • ljbhill
    ljbhill Posts: 276 Member
    Not a cheat day but definetely a cheat meal here and there! I try to make it at lunch time so I have longer to burn it off =)
  • maemiller
    maemiller Posts: 439 Member
    i do have a cheat day once a week. After 6 days of watching calories, i do have cravings for wings or pizza, etc. You do want to treat yourself once in a while because if you dont, you can go overboard when you do have it. On my cheat day, I do eat in moderation and I also make sure that I work extra hard the next day to get rid of the extra sodium and calories that i ate the day before

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